Category: Campaigning

AS COMPOSERS WE ASSERT THAT Copyright rests with the author. This is enshrined in copyright law and is the moral starting point of every negotiation. Music creates unique emotional connections and financial value in an audiovisual production. Composers should receive a fair share of the value they create. Only composers should decide how much of […]

At the latest Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) hearing into the economics of music streaming today, Minister of State for Digital and Culture Caroline Dinenage supported a referral of music streaming to the Competition and Markets Authority, one of the key asks of the #FixStreaming campaign. A position welcomed by both The […]

Supporters include MNEK, Amy Wadge, Ross Golan, Fred Gibson, Mikkel Eriksen of Stargate, Paloma Faith, Savan Kotecha, Jess Glynne, Natalie Hemby, Jimmy Hogarth, Liam Howe, Giorgio Moroder, Digital Farm Animals, Dan Bastille, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jin Jin, Plested, Ina Wroldsen, Tre Jean-Marie, Rick Nowels, Tiffany Red, Iain James, Dyo and Jessica Agombar. 300 writers, along […]

The Committee of MPs quickly acknowledged how the live sector being closed for almost a year has presented an enormous problem for musicians. However, in keeping with the artists who had given evidence at earlier hearings, the organisations’ leaders emphasised how recorded music should also provide an acceptable and equitable income stream for musicians, writers […]

Despite the challenges we face I would like to wish you a happy new year. I know that this is not the start to 2021 that we all hoped for, and we are facing greater restrictions and challenges than we expected, but the new year also brings hope. We are committed to supporting you and […]

The Ivors Academy has recommended that the UK Government: Introduce regulation of the Major Music Intermediaries – international corporate groups comprising both labels and publishing with revenues above 5% of world markets – with a code of conduct to create parity with how Collective Management Organisations are regulated. Implement a package of copyright reform, based […]

A poll by The Ivors Academy and Musicians’ Union has exposed the shockingly inadequate earnings the majority of music creators currently receive from streaming. The findings come ahead of the second meeting of the DCMS Select Committee inquiry into the economics of music streaming, on Tuesday 8 December. The survey of the organisations’ members shows […]

Take the poll The poll will run until 5pm on Tuesday 10 November and is open to members of The Ivors Academy and the MU. We will use the results in our submission to the DCMS Select Committee inquiry on the economics of streaming and in our campaigning. It will help by providing up-to-date information […]

The deadline to submit written evidence to the DCMS Select Committee inquiry on streaming has now passed. This follows five months of campaigning by The Ivors Academy and Musicians’ Union, and may be the biggest opportunity we will collectively get to make the case for a fairer deal for songwriters, composers, and performers. Have your […]

The deadline to submit written evidence to the DCMS Select Committee inquiry on streaming has now passed. What does ‘giving evidence to the Select Committee inquiry’ mean? A Select Committee is a cross-party group of MPs who can run inquiries to research a specific topic and make recommendations to Government. As part of their research, […]

The deadline to submit written evidence to the DCMS Select Committee inquiry on streaming has now passed. The idea of giving evidence to a Select Committee can be daunting – especially when it’s about something as important and complex as streaming. But it doesn’t have to be. Here we run through what we believe will […]

The Ivors Academy and The Musicians’ Union have welcomed today’s announcement of a Government inquiry into streaming in the music industry and, in particular, the economic impact music streaming is having on artists and the sustainability of the wider music industry. This announcement follows a joint campaign by the organisations to Fix Streaming and Keep […]

A YouGov survey commissioned by #BrokenRecord Campaign in association with the Musicians’ Union and The Ivors Academy reveals that a large majority of consumers believe the share received by creators and performers from digital music streaming is unfair. It shows they would prefer their subscriptions to be distributed differently and, were it to be reformed, […]

The Chancellor has outlined a package of measures, which includes a new Jobs Support Scheme to protect returning workers, extending Self Employment Income Support Scheme in a reduced form and 15% VAT cut for the hospitality and tourism sectors, and help for businesses in repaying government-backed loans. Sadly, these measures are largely unfit to support […]

The pandemic continues to impact on many parts of the music industry, in particular creatives. An Encore Musicians survey showed that 64% of musicians are considering changing careers. If the talent pipeline dries up it will be disastrous for the music industry and will have long-term negative consequences for employment, the economy and the UK’s […]

The announcement follows months of campaigning. Thousands of music creators have called out the #BrokenRecord industry, and trade bodies The Ivors Academy and the MU have been campaigning to #FixStreaming and Keep Music Alive, arguing that the disappearance of the live sector has highlighted just how broken the streaming market is. In May the organisations […]

The MP3 revolutionised music distribution across the globe. The new file format allowed music to be compressed and shared like never before. In a tale of unintended consequences, the MP3 ushered in mass piracy and the emergence of peer-to-peer music file sharing companies such as Napster, as well as the huge success of MP3 players, […]

The partnership makes Epidemic Sound’s library of tracks available to use through the Adobe stock service. Epidemic Sound’s library is created by composers for screen and video, who receive an upfront fee while having to relinquish all rights to future royalties. They are hired under so-called ‘full buyout deals’. Such deals are becoming increasingly common. […]

The BBC itself makes clear it sees the need for modernisation to keep up with the digital era we live in. We argued it is vital that its evolution doesn’t cause a revolution, where everything that makes the BBC great will be lost. We showcased the BBC’s central role in commissioning, producing, broadcasting, and developing […]

A report by the Creative Industries Federation has shown how the UK is undergoing a “cultural catastrophe”: 400,000 creative jobs could be lost, and the UK creative industries are projected to lose £1.4 billion a week in revenue in 2020. Cultural sectors, and music in particular, have been hit hard by the pandemic. Music creators […]